talk about "narrow", how "broad" is it to brandish a percentage to try and make us believe bs ?

Russian expert living in France hahaha. Not going to bother, I will live in Russia and make my opinions judged on everyday life.

Get over it, Yeltsin was an idiot who with his cronies sent the country into bankruptcy while the west paraded him as a hero. Russia gets back on it's feet and starts showing prosperity and Putin is a villain

Sometimes. All because it depends on the publication and the professionalism of the people. Whether or not the journalist writes about you accurately, if he understands you, if he will denounce to the reader what you said. I’ve often been caught by not altogether professional journalists, and this experience has taught me caution.

And to what extent do you, in 2011, need publicity? How interested are you in your media presence?

I’m very happy to give interviews to journalists, whom I already know. Simply because it’s easier to talk with a familiar person than with a stranger. On the other hand, publicity is nice for everyone, including the one who is super-famous.

You are exactly that, a super-famous tennis player. What in your opinion must a tennis player have to build a good athletic career?

From my point of view, a good tennis player is a workaholic. There are so few. We don’t want to work – we all want to get everything immediately. Every day, from morning to night, one must work. Someone sits in an office all day, and a tennis player must spend his entire working day on the court. It's a job, just like anything else. If you want something in the profession, then devote yourself to work almost all the time. And then – over many years - something may happen. It all depends on how talented and hard-working the person is. Performance * - 70% luck, 30% talent.

* Would “success” be a better translation?

And how many of those are there, who haven’t been in work for a long time?

There is no such word as "can’t". There are the words "I don’t want to". Lots of people say "can’t". Many more than those who say "I don’t want to". The latter are honest, not the former. There are not too experienced people who aren’t oriented in themselves. A man decides for himself, to build his life by himself. Every athlete first becomes his own manager. And as you yourself exercise management, so, in yourself, the case will be.

But it sometimes happens that you don’t want to go on court?

Constantly. Do you know many people who run joyfully to work in the morning? I - a little bit. So it is here. I’d like to do something else, I’d like to relax, something distracts, some desire, temptation ... but you have to get up and go. I get up and go. Despite laziness or stress.

And what do you do to cope with stress? Relax at home? Fly off somewhere?

Everyone has their own way. My way – as little emotion as possible. When the mind is calm, you’re capable of making the most correct decisions. And when insoluble, it would seem, the problems solved themselves. More importantly, patience. Learning patience is necessary for life, especially if you're a tennis player, that is, doing a sport that is connected with reaction to speed. Combining speed with patience is difficult, but possible.

What, apart from tennis, occupies you now?

I play football, I also play hockey. Sometimes I even play tennis. (laughs) Football, once or twice a week, hockey once a week. I play with friends – non-professionals – for the soul. For relaxation, so to speak.

What’s your relationship with fitness?

I lived in the gym for fifteen years, so it’s psychologically difficult for me to pump iron.

Swimming?

I’m not a fan. I prefer football and hockey.

You had a serious career, became world champion. What are your future plans? Going to grow outwards or upwards?

It’s been two years since I retired from tennis. But you can’t escape sport - in a broad sense. As long as there’s still energy in you, you must do something. And then I realized that it’s better to overcome other mountains. And not merely to overcome but to minimize. For example, I think it’s shameful that the Russian Tennis Federation doesn’t have a complex, its own base. A complex is needed, and as vice-president of the Federation I’ll try to do everything, so that we get it.

What did you feel when you retired, when your sports career ended?

Ease. A 12-hour workout every day - it's hard, and when it suddenly ends, anyone would feel easy. I formed the habit of training, but no dependence. I just realized that my life had entered a new phase. By the way, an amusing fact: everyone told me that I would get fat when I retired. But I lost three kilograms.

It’s well known that you love cars. Which is the best?

The best car is one that drives well, and is comfortable and spacious. In my position, those are the important indicators.

No doubt, Wimbledon is a cool tournament. It’s very prestigious, but quite unusual. It’s difficult to play on grass, and one has to get accustomed to it. On this surface one should use a completely different tactic and court movement, which brings a lot of trouble to many class players. I had difficulties with playing on grass and for few years I couldn’t get accustomed to the local courts, hence I couldn't perform well.

In the recent years the tennis players became faster and quickly accustom to the grass surface, since it gets slower with every season. The difference between the current grass and the one that was on Wimbledon 5-10 years ago is huge. Back then the courts were faster and more slippery. They do this intentionally, because due to the technical progress the tennis speed keeps rising. The spectators would not be interested in seeing a battle of serve-and-volley. That is why, in order to make the game more diverse, the organizers make the surface slower.

In the past there were many tennis players, who right after the serve were attacking on the net. Basically now there are not such specialist left, which is big advantage for other guys. It was hard with Ivanisevic, Kraycek, Rafter or Henman. if you are not in good shape, they could easily kick you out of the tournament, since you are constantly under pressure, they used to press the opponent throughout teh whole match. On this surface such an aggressive and fast tennis is most effective. I cannot say, would it be easier for me to play on Wimbledon, since the grass in my time was slower. nevertheless I think that I’d feel more comfortable.

As I mentioned, one has to start preparing for grass early. That’s why after Roland Garros most of the players go to London, where they try to train as long as possible and get accustomed to the surface. Not everyone did this, since before Wimbledon there are few big tournaments, where one could add good points to their rating. On such competitions always gathered many good players, especially on the men tour. Federer, Hewitt, Roddick and others always play before Wimbledon.

My first good performance in London I consider the one in 2001, when I lost in QF to the future winner Goran Ivanisevic. That was the first time I more or less felt that I could play on grass. My best performance would be in 2008, when I reached SF and lost to Roger Federer. All in all, I remember Wimbledon with good memories, despite I am a bit sad that I learned to play on grass too late. I could have achieved more on this tournament, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.
This year I couldn’t fly to London, since I had many organizational issues to solve in Moscow. But I do follow the score. In the men draw I was surprised by Andy Roddick’s quick exit, since this is his favorite surface and suits his game style. I think he has to reach higher. I was also surprised by Robin Soderling’s loss. I thought that on grass he’ll have better results.

Mish Youzhniy is great. He is successful player, one can say, a veteran and very experienced and proven.The guys consider him, when planning their walk on the draw, since for the last 10 years he is playing at high level. I wasn’t surprised by his good performance on Wimbledon. It’s pity he lost to Federer, but any opponent has tough time against him. regarding the main favorites for the title, besides Roger there are Novak Djokovic, Andy Murrey and Rafael Nadal. The same four, as in the previous big tournaments.

In contrast to the men tennis, it’s impossible to predict anything in the women tennis. I personally think that the winner would be either Masha Sharapova, either Vika Azarenko. I like their aggressive tennis. That’s what’s needed to play on grass. We’ll cheer for our girls!

One cannot go without mentioning the WIlliams sisters. Their return will be beneficial for the WTA-tour. They started competing again, as they think they can still win. It’s hard to forecast their long-term perspectives, as it’s not correct to make conclusions based on one tournament. No one, except for themselves, knows what they want and would they play many tournaments or would perform selectively. In any case, if Serena or Venus are decisive, the younger girls would have hard time, as the Americans are very experienced and athletic players. On the big tournaments the experience is needed more than anything. For the two competition weeks everyone has to go through few difficult matches, where you hang on a hair from the failure. In order to get out from such moments experience is necessary. Serena and Venus have more of it than any other playing girl.
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No one wants to work, they all want everything to work out immediately. From dusk til down, every single day one has to work.

Q: Marat, do you have to decline interviews often?

M: Sometimes, yes. But it doesn’t depend on the media, but on the people’s professionalism Would the journalist quote and understand you correctly, would they bring my words to the readers. I often came across unprofessional journalist and the experience taught me to be careful.
Q: At which level now, in 2011, you need publicity? How much are you interested in your presence in the media?

M: I give interviews to the journalist I already know with pleasure. It’s easier to talk to someone you know, than with a stranger. On the other hand, publicity is nice for everyone, including the very famous ones.

Q: You are a super famous tennis players. In you opinion what is needed for someone to build a good sport career?

M: In my view, the good tennis player is the hard working one. Such people are a few. Here no one wants to work, they all want everything to work out immediately. Some people stay in the office all day, and the player has to be on court all day. That’s a job like any other. If you want to achieve something in your profession you have to dedicate to it most of your time. And then, after many years, you might achieve something. All depends on person’s talent and workign ability. Working ability is 70 %, and talent 30 % of the success.
Q: The ones that cannot work longer, are they a lot?

M; there is no such thing as “I cannot”. There is “ I don’t want”. The ones that say “I cannot” are a lot. Much more than the ones that say “I don’t want”.The latter are honest, the former are not. There are many inexperienced people who don’t orient themselves in sport, or in themselves too. The person takes his own decision and builds their own life. Any athlete is his own manager. The way you manage yourself, that’s how your life will go.
Q: Did it happen to you, when you simply don’t want to go out on court?

M: All the time. Do you know many people who are happy to go to work? I don’t know many. Same thing here. I want to do something else, I want to relax, something is distracting me, temptations, desires... But I have to force myself and go. And I got up and went on court, despite the laziness or stress.
Q: What do you usually do to conquer stress? Relax at home? Fly somewhere?

M: Everyone has its own way. My way is at least emotions as possible. When there is a “still” in teh head, then you can take the rightest decisions. At that moment, even the impossible problems seem to solve themselves. Patience is important. One has to learn to be patient all of their life, especially if one is a tennis player, i.e. is in port where quick reaction is needed. The compatibility of speed and patience is difficult, but possible.
Q: What do you play now, besides tennis?

M: I play football, hockey. Sometimes even tennis (laughs). Football I play 1-2 times a wekk, and hockey once a week. I play with my friends, unprofessional, cool, just for fun. SO to say, to relax.
Q: What is your relation to fitness?

M: I have “lived” in the gym for 15 years, so it’s psychologically hard to lift iron now.
Q: Swimming?

M: I am not a fan. Prefer football or hockey.
Q: You had a serious career. You became a world champion. What are your future plans? Do you plan to grow higher or wider?

M: I retired form tennis two years ago, but I haven’t retired from sport. As long as you have energy, you should do something. I went to the mountains with a Himalayan expedition. later I realized that it’s better to conquer other mountains. Not only to conquer but also to move them. For instance, it’s shameful to me that the Russian Tennis federation doesn’t have a tennis complex or sport base. The complex is necessary and I as a VP would do anything to make sure it is built.

Q: What have you felt, when you retired from your professional career?

M: Lightness. twelve hour trainings very day is hard thing, and when all this is over, one feels lightness I had the habit to train, but not dependency on the trainings. I realized that in my life there is a new phase. A funny fact: everyone told me that I will get fat after retirement. But I’ve lost 3 kilos.
Q: It’s known that you love cars. What is the best car?

M: The best car is the one that drives well, and which is comfortable and spacy. Due to my height that’s an important factor for me.